Bellevue Apartment Reviews (Bel-Red / Spring District Edition)

It’s moving season again, so I recently went apartment hunting around the Eastside. I toured a ton of buildings in Bel-Red and the Spring District before finally settling on Vicino. Figured I’d share some notes from the places I toured, plus a deeper dive into the apartments I’ve actually lived in. Hopefully this helps some people with their apartment search.

Modera

• Has both gas stoves and AC
• Some layouts are really nice, and certain units have amazing Bellevue DT views

Verde

• Absolutely gorgeous building, but definitely expensive
• Amenities were super impressive, they even have their own cafe/shop downstairs!
• Loved the floor-to-ceiling windows and natural lighting
• Heard the common-area utility fees can get pretty high though

Copal

• Brand new building with a really modern aesthetic
• Rooftop area is beautiful with lots of plants and flowers
• Gym felt a bit small, and there’s no dance/yoga room
• Very close to the light rail, so some units can get noisy

Vue22

• Ceilings felt a bit low and kind of claustrophobic

Parkside

• A1/A2/A3 floor plans were pretty decent
• More affordable compared to nearby buildings

Bell Overlake

• On the cheaper side, but the building definitely felt older
• Loft layouts were pretty cool though!

Ellis

• Renovated older building, so the amenities feel a bit lacking

Ondina

• Right next to Copal, but felt much older
• Personally not a fan of the light blue colors on the wall
• Also very close to the light rail, so similar noise issues

Sparc

• Really close to the light rail
• Some units have nice Bellevue skyline views and balconies
• Building felt old and a bit cramped
• No AC or gas stoves

Arras

• Similar vibe to Sparc, felt slightly older and tighter overall

Now onto the two apartments I actually lived in:

Hyde Square (where i lived last year)

Pros:

• Amenities are top-tier! The gym is massive, probably the best apartment gym I’ve seen in Bellevue. There is a dedicated dance/yoga room too. They also have a movie theater room.
• Outward-facing units get nice tree/sunset views.

Cons:

• No AC. If you’re on the top floor or west-facing, the room will become a literal sauna. I bought a portable AC and it was still really hot
• Inward-facing units look directly into neighbor’s living rooms, privacy is not so great
• Leasing office was really strict about credit checks and not super newcomer-friendly. I had a strong Canadian credit score but no US credit history yet, and they charged me a $3600 security deposit.

Vicino

Pros:

• It has AC, which honestly makes a big difference in the summer
• Brand new building with really nice amenities. The rooftop lounge has great Bellevue skyline views. The gym has a dance/yoga room with full mirrors.
• Love the modern interior aesthetic, the cabinets and marble kitchen island look really nice
• Super convenient location near both 405 and 520
• South-facing units have amazing sunset views, can get a peek of Rainer sometimes

Cons:

• Parking is rough. There is a 1-car per unit limit, the second car will have to park offsite or in the back alley. Even the offsite parking currently has a waitlist.
• Parking is expensive too. $250 for standard and $225 for compact.
• Guest parking is difficult. You can usually park in future resident parking after leasing hours, but during leasing hours they might get towed
• There were some package theft issues earlier, though management added cameras to the mailroom and it seems much better now

Overall the experience at Vicino has been pretty great so far. The modern design, amenities, and views really won me over. Plus the 10 weeks free concession made it feel pretty worth it.

One thing I didn’t know before applying was that they offered a $1000 referral bonus. Don’t miss out on this! If you end up applying and need a referral, just DM me.

Hope this helps, and good luck apartment hunting everyone!